This old tribal used Namaste figure originates from West Nepal and was made of very heavy dense wood. The ethnographic groups in this area exist at the margins of Lamaistic Buddhist culture to the north and Indo-Aryan Vedic culture from the south, where orthodox religious influences have coexisted side by side with shamanism for centuries. The integration of traditional shamanism with introduced religion over centuries has combined to a unique cultural amalgam as can be seen in the praying human figures which adorned rooftops and shrines. Napalese artists developed a distinctive anthropomorphic physiognomy for their deities, typically in an elongated form with long or wide exaggerated features, and hands often shown in the traditional Nepali "namaskar" gesture of reverence and greeting. Condition: old as is but authentic as pictured, no restorations. The statue is still very strong and has a superb patine. The statue has a strong look and carving. No tourist piece. Careful registered sending #ttjan